Purchasing and Inventory Manager

At Schaefer Plastics, we manufacture industry-leading solutions and drive responsible practices towards a sustainable future for generations to come. As a family-owned company since 1937, we are deeply committed to delivering exceptional customer care through high-quality, innovative waste and packaging solutions. Our customers and their satisfaction are paramount to our business; we strive to understand their needs and exceed their expectations at every turn. We are a global injection molding manufacturer, producing durable waste and recycling carts, and pioneering reusable packaging systems that reduce carbon footprints. Our dynamic and inclusive culture fosters personal and professional growth, making us an ideal employer for career advancement.

Position Overview

The Purchasing and Inventory Manager ensures materials are available to support production while improving profitability, inventory performance, and supplier reliability. This position oversees purchasing and inventory planning for raw materials, components, and packaging. The successful candidate will identify cost-saving opportunities, improve inventory turns, reduce working capital tied up in inventory, and support the company’s financial and operational goals.

Key Responsibilities

Purchasing and Supplier Management

• Lead the procurement of plastic resins, recycled materials, components, packaging, and other materials required for production.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, payment terms, lead times, and supply agreements to improve margins and cash flow.
• Monitor supplier performance related to cost, quality, delivery, and responsiveness.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships while identifying opportunities for alternative sourcing and improved terms.
• Research market conditions, pricing trends, supply risks, and other economic developments that may affect material availability or cost.
• Identify and implement cost-reduction and sourcing improvement initiatives.
• Address supplier performance concerns and coordinate corrective actions when necessary.

Inventory Management and Planning

• Optimize inventory levels, safety stock, reorder points, and purchasing quantities to improve inventory turns while maintaining appropriate service levels.
• Monitor material requirements, inventory balances, production schedules, forecasts, and open purchase orders.
• Reduce excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory.
• Identify inventory discrepancies, determine root causes, and coordinate corrective action.
• Maintain accurate purchasing and inventory information within the company’s ERP/MRP system.
• Review purchasing and inventory reports to identify shortages, excess inventory, cost variances, and opportunities for improvement.
• Support inventory audits, cycle counts, and reconciliation activities as needed.

Operational and Financial Support

• Partner with Operations, Materials, Quality, Finance, Sales, Logistics, and other departments to ensure material availability and prevent production disruptions.
• Improve planning, forecasting, and supplier collaboration to reduce working capital requirements.
• Track procurement and inventory performance against established goals and KPIs.
• Provide regular updates regarding material availability, supplier performance, cost-saving initiatives, and inventory risks.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis related to purchasing and inventory.
• Perform general clerical and administrative responsibilities, including data entry, maintaining purchasing and supplier records, preparing routine reports, processing documentation, and organizing procurement files.
• Perform other duties and support special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

Required

• Five or more years of purchasing, inventory management, procurement, or supply chain experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing suppliers, negotiating terms, and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
• Experience with inventory planning, demand forecasting, safety stock, and reorder-point management.
• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and purchasing processes.
• Strong analytical, organizational, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to evaluate data, identify trends, and make sound business decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Finance, or a related field.
• Experience purchasing plastic resins, recycled materials, packaging, or other materials used in plastics manufacturing.
• Experience supporting multiple manufacturing locations or business units.
• Professional certification in purchasing, supply chain, or inventory management.

Success will be measured through improvements in:

• Inventory turns
• Working capital reduction
• Material cost savings
• Supplier on-time delivery
• Material availability
• Excess and obsolete inventory reduction
• Purchasing and inventory accuracy
• EBITDA improvement generated through procurement initiatives

Why Join Schaefer Plastics?

Schaefer Plastics is a family-owned company with a history dating back to 1937. As a global leader in injection-molded plastic products, we manufacture waste and recycling carts, reusable packaging solutions, and other products that serve customers across a wide range of industries.

This newly created position offers the opportunity to directly influence purchasing strategy, inventory performance, supplier relationships, profitability, and operational success. You will work closely with leaders across the organization and play an important role in ensuring the right materials are available at the right time, at the best total cost, and with the least amount of capital invested.

Schaefer Plastics North America

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Schaefer Plastics is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Applicant Data & Privacy Notice: Schaefer Plastics North America, LLC collects and uses the personal information you provide during the application and recruiting process to evaluate your qualifications, communicate with you, schedule interviews, make hiring decisions, and, if selected, complete offer and onboarding activities. Applicant information may include your resume, contact information, work history, education, skills, interview notes, references, and other information you choose to provide or that is needed for the position. Please do not submit sensitive personal information irrelevant to the role, such as Social Security numbers, banking information, medical information, copies of identification, or other unnecessary personal documents, unless specifically requested at the appropriate stage of the hiring process. If we would like to keep your information on file for future opportunities, we will request your consent where required. Please direct questions about how applicant data is handled to Human Resources or the appropriate SSI SCHAEFER data protection contact.